JAQUET DROZ NOVELTIES PRESENTATION IN HONG KONG

Jaquet Droz proudly presents the new version of the Tropical Bird Repeater and the Petite Heure Minute Pig models celebrating Chinese New Year

For over 280 years, Swiss fine watchmaking brand Jaquet Droz has enjoyed its prominent position among watch connoisseurs and collectors. The brand earned its reputation among Chinese royalty as early as in the Qing Dynasty. With deep ties to the East, Jaquet Droz ardently celebrates the advent of Chinese New Year with 2 brand new models, including the Tropical Bird Repeater with a vibrant and picturesque dial, and the Petite Heure Minute Pig inspired by the Chinese Zodiac. The brand held an exclusive launch at the Prince Club of Prince Jewellery & Watch, inviting guests to appreciate the magic of reading time.

The guests arrived in good spirits at Prince Club on 10th January 2019. Renowned for its Art of Astonishment, the brand arranged a live demonstration of miniature painting on enamel by a masterful artist from Switzerland, praising one of the eight codes of the La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture. Guests looked on as-a visually stunning work of art was born. The event was opened with a welcome speech by Ms Sylvia Yau, Vice President of Jaquet Droz Hong Kong and Macau. After the speech, the guests were invited to enjoy a lunch while appreciating the three new timepieces borne from Jaquet Droz’s spring of creativity. The Tropical Bird Repeater depicts a waterfall, one of nature’s enchanting miracles. The 47 mm model honours the Enlightenment-era passion for nature and animals of founder Pierre Jaquet-Droz. The hand-engraved and hand-painted fauna on the dial dance to the tone of harmonious and crisp chimes. Discerning collectors glimpse of paradise, depicted by a hovering hummingbird, a peacock with intense blue feathers, delicate dragonflies and the majestic toucan. To honour the iconic animal from the Chinese Zodiac, the keenly anticipated Petite Heure Minute collection has finally turned the spotlight to the final animal in the cycle – the pig – a symbol of loyalty, cautiousness and attentiveness. On the 35 mm diamond-set ladies’ version of the Petite Heure Minute Pig timepiece, the art of miniature painting was chosen to depict a young pig in a field of wheat. Applying the brand’s signature naturalist technique, Jaquet Droz evokes the abundance and prosperity of a ripe wheat crop, and the calm and good sense of the pig who stands before it.

After the luncheon, a private tour of the exhibition “The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series: Treasures of Time” was given at the Hong Kong Science Museum. This exhibition displayed for the first time 120 magnificent clocks and watches from the collection of The Palace Museum, where several of them were repaired in recent years.. Known to have captivated the Imperial Court of China, antique timepieces of Jaquet-Droz were also featured at the exhibition. Essential components of life at the 18th century Imperial Court, these clocks and automatons infused with poetry and the art of watchmaking bear witness to a fruitful relationship, as well as the brand’s rare degree of creativity and technical skill that dates back centuries.

Ms Sylvia Yau, Vice President of Jaquet Droz Hong Kong and Macau, remarked, “The legacy of Jaquet Droz craftmanship demonstrated through top-notch techniques such as miniature painting, engraving, enamelling and gem setting dates back to the Qing Dynasty. These marvellous techniques keep the Art of Astonishment alive today. Jaquet Droz will continue to draw on the watchmaking passion of its founder Pierre Jaquet-Droz while embracing the future, by creating more and more watchmaking masterpieces that will be coveted by generations of collectors, like the Tropical Bird Repeater and the Petite Heure Minute Pig.”

“Some watches tell time, some tell a story”